The Canadian Scholarship Trust (CST) has launched an AI-powered campaign to show parents the importance of saving money for their children’s education.

Created by Toronto-based agency Barrett and Welsh, the “The Kids Say Thanks” campaign targets new South Asian Canadian parents and will be supported by digital banners, DOOH advertising and social media spots.

All ads will take people to a website where they will be asked to fill out a form. Based on the information they provide, the platform – which uses voice-recognition technology – will send them a personalized video message via email from the adults who will become their kids in the future. The video shows their children thanking them for saving money for their post-secondary education.

“CST’s purpose is to enable access to post-secondary education for all Canadians (regardless of their background) by ensuring they have the financial resources they need. However, it’s not always easy to save for a future you can’t ‘see’,” CST chief marketing officer Jeffrey Beck tells MiC. “The use of AI can help give these newcomer parents a glimpse into the future and encourage them to save for post-secondary education.”

Beck explains that they have decided to focus on Asian Canadians as “the last three years have seen record-breaking immigration to Canada, with South Asia in the lead and India as the single biggest source country.”

“By 2036, nearly half of the entire population of Canadian children below 15 will have an immigrant background. And our research suggests that South Asian parents strongly believe in the power of education. For them, saving for higher education becomes a parental obligation as well as a priority.”

Gavin Barrett, CEO and chief creative officer of Barrett and Welsh, says the media buying strategy focused on “media and areas with a high concentration of South Asian population.”

“This is made possible by combining digital and paid social (South Asians over-index in digital use) with DOOH. The digital uses custom buys, behavioural filters and geo-targeting to reach the audience. The DOOH provides in-community targeting in South-Asian-heavy regions. But the heart of the campaign is the AI-personalized digital experience on the landing page.”

Founded in 1960, CST provides financial assistance through awards and scholarships, helping students access post-secondary learning.

Barrett and Welsh specializes in advertising aimed at racialized minorities. The agency’s clients include Allstate Insurance Canada, Walmart, TD Bank, Sobeys, Nia Centre and the National Arts Centre.